


Care and Consideration

by Just_a_simple_trash_can



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Borderlands 3 Spoilers, Fluff, Minor Angst, Other, Post Atlas At Last, they/them pronouns for zer0 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26808007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_a_simple_trash_can/pseuds/Just_a_simple_trash_can
Summary: After the events with Maliwan, Rhys has a lot to think about. The ongoing war between the Crimson Raiders and the COV, the damages to his company, and his feelings for a certain mysterious Vault Hunter.
Relationships: Rhys/Zer0 (Borderlands)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 62





	Care and Consideration

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic immediately after finishing the Atlas chapter because it made me cry for ten minutes and I needed them to talk about their emotions. 
> 
> Sorry if some of Zer0’s lines seem strange. This is my first time writing them.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Rhys looked closely at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, running his fingers along his siege mustache. He looked good, didn’t he? The Vault Hunter had liked it and what reason did they have to lie to him? It made him look more manly. More professional. All good CEOs had facial hair.

His mustache, of course, was not his main priority but anything was better than thinking about his cru- bro. His bro, Zer0. He did not have a crush on Zer0. They were friends and co-workers and bros. Everyone found their friends attractive, right? There were plenty of people who imagined kissing their friends and going on long walks hand in hand with people who have saved their lives, right? Right? He was losing his train of thought.

Rhys knew from the beginning that there was no way that Zer0 betrayed him and went on a ruthless Atlas employee killing spree. Zer0 wasn’t like that. They were loyal and trusting and protective and hot-

The point was Rhys couldn’t stop thinking about Zer0. About how Katagawa had deceived him, all of them, and had almost ruined the reputation of someone Rhys cared about. Lazy River Land was one thing (one thing that Rhys would never forgive Katagawa for) but Zer0 was far more important than any amusement park or bagel place or frozen yogurt shop. Not that he would ever let the ex-assassin know that he felt that way.

Zer0 had a lot on their plate. Being Atlas’ head of security as well as a part time weapons tester wasn’t easy for anyone. Not to mention that Zer0 was considering going back to vault hunting and had received several assassination jobs that were still on their desk despite them saying that the papers would be thrown out. Zer0 was too busy with Atlas work and personal “hobbies” for lack of a better word. The last thing they would be interested in is dating.

So if Rhys did have a crush on Zer0 (which he definitely did), it was in his and Zer0’s best interest to keep quiet about it.

Rhys looked back up at the mirror with a frown. The new Vault Hunter was already on their way back to Sanctuary with the vault key fragment, leaving Rhys and Zer0 to handle the fallout of Katagawa’s attack. Well more specifically, they left Rhys to handle the fallout. Zer0 had disappeared soon after the vault hunter returned to Sanctuary. Rhys, admittedly, was relieved that they did so. It gave him a chance to catch his breath and process the last few hours. Had the Vault Hunter not shown up, gods only know what would have happened. Atlas would be nothing but a pile of rubble and Rhys would be-

He shook his head and took a deep breath, gripping the sides of the sink. Everything was fine. Atlas was still standing and Rhys was alive. He had been hiding in his personal bathroom for the better part of an hour but he was alive nonetheless. 

And Zer0...Zer0 was off doing whatever robot/alien/cyborg assassins did. From what Rhys had heard from Lorelei, Maliwan soldiers hadn’t retreated and were still attempting to shoot through Atlas defenses. Knowing Zer0, they were most likely helping the Atlas soldiers (literally) cut through their intruders. 

“Okay,” Rhys mumbled, running a shaking hand through his hair. When had his hand started shaking? “Okay. Get back in there and help the Crimson Raiders. They saved your ass. Now you have to help them.” He finger gunned his reflection before turning around and opening the bathroom door.

“Oh, there you are, Rhys/You were gone for a while/You had me worried.”

Rhys jumped, surprised by his friend’s sudden appearance and tripped over his own feet. He fell back against the sink as the “:(“ on Zer0’s visor turned into a “?”.

“Is there something wrong?” Zer0 asked. “I thought you heard me come in./Have you been injured?”

“No,” Rhys said, pulling himself back up. His back hurt from hitting the ceramic, but he wouldn’t admit that. “I’m just fine, buddy. Frankly, I’m more worried about you. That jerk didn’t hurt you or anything, did he?”

“No need to worry/I never gave him the chance/I’m simply better.” A bright red “:)” flashed on their visor. Rhys couldn’t help but smile back.

“I’m glad.”

Zer0 backed away from the bathroom door, allowing Rhys to walk back into his office. Paper and rubble still littered the floor and while the mess was unfitting of a CEO’s office, Rhys couldn’t bring himself to call in any service bots at the moment. He was perfectly content being in the room alone with Zer0 now that he knew that they were both okay and that their biggest threat had been taken care of.

The CEO collapsed onto his chair, the same chair he had been pulled out of by Katagawa. It had been thrown somewhere across the room and now creaked when he leaned too far to the left. Great. Not only was his company practically in tatters, but now he had to get a new chair.

A silence fell over the room. While it wasn’t suffocating or uncomfortable, Rhys couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Despite the fact that Zer0 had saved his life, some irrational part of his brain was terrified to go near the assassin. And of course the thought was irrational. Zer0 had never shown any ill will towards Rhys in the several years the two had been friends. And yet, Rhys could still hear the screams of his soldiers as who they thought was Zer0 killed them. He could still see that Maliwan suited Zer0 walking towards Rhys with a blood splattered sword in an equally bloody hand. 

“You were terrified.” Zer0’s robotic voice cut though the silence and through Rhys’ thoughts. “Are you afraid of me now?/ I would not blame you.”

“I thought you betrayed us,” Rhys mumbled. He glanced out the window, digging his nails into the arm rests of his chair. “Soldiers saw you and I didn’t want to believe it was you but-“ Rhys’ eyes began to sting. “And then you-“ He stopped. Swallowed the knot in his throat. Rubbed his eyes. “And then Katagawa showed up in your suit and I wondered if everything we had gone through meant anything to you. I wanted to know what Katagawa could have offered you to get you to join him. He could have given you anything you could ever want and for just a moment, I was convinced that you no longer cared about me and were more than happy to take me out to fulfill your side of the deal. And then you showed back up and you saved my life. Now I’m wondering how I ever could have doubted you. You’re my friend and I knew that you would never do this to us, but that bastard had me fooled and I’m beginning to realize just how much of an idiot I am. You must hate me for not trusting you more.”

Zer0 stayed silent, their head tilted to the side. Their arms stayed crossed over their chest, though it looked like their fingers were tense and tightened, as if they were trying to close their fists.

“He did approach me,” Zer0 said. Rhys almost missed how they flinched as they spoke. “Wanted me to leave Atlas/To stay away from you. A vile man he was/Put a hefty price on your life/I wanted him dead.”

“When did this happen?”

“Around two weeks back/An ECHO was sent to me/He tried to bribe me.” Zer0 pushed off of the pillar and walked across the room, keeping a large distance between themself and Rhys. “I cannot be bought/My loyalty to Atlas-“ Zer0 stopped. They looked away from Rhys, the grip on their suit growing tighter.

“It’s okay.” Rhys stood up and approached his friend. Zer0 stepped back, seemingly afraid of being close to him. “You don’t have to explain. I just needed to know that...that you’re on our side. On my side.”

Zer0 looked at him. It was impossible to tell what their expression was or how they were feeling. That only made Rhys more nervous.

“Not that you have to choose sides or anything. You are free to make your own decisions. While you are an Atlas employee, you don’t have to be completely loyal to us.” Moron, he thought immediately after he said it, but continued to talk despite it. “I know that I may not be as important to you as you are to me. You don’t have to be completely loyal to us. I don’t want to force you into a decision you won’t be happy with. I just-“ Rhys hesitated. If he kept on that train of thought, he risked accidentally confessing his DEFINITELY NOT A CRUSH on the ex-vault hunter. “I care about you, Zer0 and it terrified me when you didn’t answer my calls and that fear got even worse when I heard what the soldiers were saying about you. I thought that I had done something that made you want to switch sides or that you had been humoring me all these years and when you finally got a chance to get away from me and get something out of it, you would take it.”

“Rhys, you are crying.” Zero ran a gloved thumb across Rhys’ face and wiped away a tear. With that small gesture, Rhys broke down. Zer0 wrapped their arms around the CEO tightly, keeping him from collapsing onto the ground. “I am loyal to Atlas,” they whispered, or at least, did something akin to whispering. “I’m loyal to you.” A heart symbol appeared on their mask as their thumb carefully caressed Rhys’ cheek. Tears continued to fall and Zer0 caught each one, carefully cupping Rhys’ face and pressing their foreheads together. “I care for you too/You are important to me/I am not leaving.”

“Promise?”

Zer0 laughed. “Leaving Atlas means/I lose all of my free guns/And the grenade mods.”

“Jerk,” Rhys smiled as he wiped away the rest of the tears. “You don’t work for me just for the free weapons.”

“While it is a perk/I do have a good reason/For remaining here.”

“Oh?” Rhys tilted his head to the side. “And what reason is that?”

“There is a man here/One that I work closely with/I’m quite charmed by him.” Pink markings, similar to blush marks, blinked to life on Zer0’s visor. The ex-assassin looked away momentarily, though they still kept their hands on Rhys’ face. “He...He provides a sort of stability that I do not usually get in my line of work and when I am with him, the world does not seem as bad.” 

It was strange to hear Zer0 speak without using their usual speech pattern. It was even stranger to hear them being so heartfelt. Zer0 had emotions of course; they just never seemed like the romantic type. 

It also hurt to hear Zer0 speak so highly of someone that Rhys definitely couldn’t compare to, but even despite Rhys’ maybe a crush, his friendship was more important and he would do anything to make Zer0 happy. 

“And this man,” Rhys asked, putting on a flirtatious smirk as he nudged his friend. “Who is he? Do I know him?”

“Oh for the love of-!” Lorelei’s voice came through the ECHO sitting on Rhys’ desk, causing both of them to jump. Rhys let out a definitely manly scream while an exclamation point flashed on Zer0’s visor. “Ask him out already, Vault Hunter!”

“I was going to.” The “!” was quickly replaced with a sad face. “Have you been listening long?/I’m-“

“I’ve been listening the entire time,” the lieutenant said, before being interrupted by a series of gunshots. “Rhys called me, on accident apparently, but I didn’t hang up in case he was dying or some shit. The Vault Hunter has been talking about you nonstop, Rhys! It’s about time that one of you confesses!” A loud explosion came from Lorelei’s side. “Shit. Gotta go. Good luck, Vault Hunter! Rhys, call me when you’re done smooching your partner!” The call dropped, leaving the room in silence. 

“This was not the plan/I wanted to romance you/So much for-“ 

Rhys leaned up and pressed his lips to the side of Zer0’s visor. “I feel the same,” he smiled. “You’re important to me and I don’t know what I would do without you. I just wasn’t sure if someone as cool as you would be interested in a nerd who watches old romcoms on his EchoNet.”

“As Lorelei said/I’ve felt this way for a while/But I was afraid.”

“So was I.” Rhys rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve never been good with romantic stuff and I was worried about ruining our friendship so I tried to convince myself that I didn’t have a crush on you. But I never could. So when Katagawa knocked me to the ground, I was convinced that the person who means the most to me was going to end my life. And that would be just my luck, wouldn’t it? It would have been my Handsome Jack phase all over again.” 

Zer0 took Rhys’ hand in their own and lifted it up to where their cheek would be. “Rhys,” they whispered sweetly. “Never mention/Jack again or I will have/to break up with you.

Rhys caressed Zer0’s visor with a smile. “Deal.” With his free hand, he grabbed Zer0’s other hand and intertwined their fingers together. “I kind of have a company to rebuild for the second time and I’m sure Maliwan still needs their asses kicked, but maybe afterwards we could go for a walk around the still standing parts of Atlas? Or you could come back to my apartment and we could watch a movie or something?”

“I would like that, Rhys.” Zer0 brought Rhys’ knuckles to their mask in a mock kiss. “I need to help Lorelei/I’ll see you tonight.”

“Tonight.” Rhys nodded. “Yeah, just meet me here tonight. At like...8?”

In reply, Zer0 gave Rhys another mock before disappearing in the blink of an eye. Rhys stood alone in what remained of his office, taking a moment to process what had just happened. 

“I have a date with Zer0,” he whispered. A large smile formed on his face. “I have a date with Zer0!” He took a victory lap around the room cheering excitedly. A call from his Echo interrupted his celebration and pulled him back to reality. He straightened his tie and cleared his throat. “Right then. Back to work.” 

Only an hour later, he would call Lorelei and scream about his crush (significant other?) and his date later that night. In response, his lieutenant yelled at him that it was about time that one of did something before asking for some coffee and a pallet of supplies for their remaining soldiers.

The remainder of his day was tedious with calls from executives asking about the damage, accounts working through the damage costs, and the cleaner bots disposing of the bodies of the Maliwan forces. Putting up with all of it was worth it, however, when Rhys locked the door to his office and found Zer0 waiting for him down the hall. 

Yes, all of it was absolutely worth it.


End file.
